New police leadership vows sweeping reforms to regain public trust

The new acting police chief of South Korea, Kim Jong-chul, has pledged comprehensive internal reforms to restore public confidence following the mishandling of high-profile missing-person and murder cases. At a meeting with senior police officials, Kim emphasized the need for deep self-reflection and sweeping changes to rebuild the police force from the ground up.

He stressed that the police have no legitimacy if they fail to earn the trust of the public, asserting that their actions will not be limited to mere rhetoric but will be demonstrated through concrete changes.

The call for reform comes in the wake of a series of public criticisms. Notably, a Jeju police officer was recently exposed for improperly closing a missing persons case without verifying the subject's safety, an action that may have indirectly led to her demise. Additionally, there were allegations that police in Gwangju, located approximately 270 kilometers south of Seoul, had illicitly shared investigative materials with a murder suspect.